Chapter 280 - 279: Who Are You?

Pei Yin grabbed the chain at his waist and flicked it up twice. "You’re the only one left out of all of us. Why don’t you just find someone to settle down with? It’s not like my treasure has any interest in you anyway."

Duan Feiye’s smile stiffened. His fingers swiped across a screen, pulling up data as he silently processed the medicinal ingredients.

He took a deep breath and said with some difficulty, "Little Pei, come over and help me run a test."

"Oh, hold on." Pei Yin tapped open his chat with Ling Yanzhi. "Ling Gou sent me an audio file. I forgot to listen to it."

He was busy as hell when he received it.

Ling Yanzhi’s previous message said Jian Yu had gone to see him.

The very next message was an audio file.

Although there was a long time between the two messages, Pei Yin couldn’t shake the feeling that Ling Gou was showing off. He had no desire to listen to whatever he’d sent.

Pei Yin hesitated for a moment before tapping play.

’Maybe it’s my treasure saying she misses me?’

A clear, bright male voice echoed through the laboratory.

"That’s right, I know a guy who did just that. He cooperated with the research for half a month, and when he came out, he was financially independent. Even got several buildings out of it."

There was even a hint of envy in his tone.

"Don’t listen to all those people outside who are scared of this and that. It’s just because they don’t understand. Not just anyone gets the chance to cooperate with Chief Pei’s experimental research."

"..."

After listening to the audio file, Pei Yin’s eyes gradually lit up.

It was the first time he’d ever been praised so highly.

And it was all true!

The rewards, like the buildings and Star Coins, were basically benefits he’d managed to fleece from the Alliance and his buddies.

And as for their health improving, he could personally guarantee that. Except for criminals, who were doomed to die, anyone who cooperated with his research would live a long life as long as they didn’t do something stupid to get themselves killed.

Pei Yin proudly puffed out his chest.

"This guy is absolutely right! Those people are worried I’ll snatch them up for research? How shameless! I’m very picky about my research ’subjects,’ okay? They’re afraid of me, but I think they’re all just a pile of crap with absolutely no research value!"

The Alliance only subsidizes ten spots a month. Did they think he wouldn’t pick and choose carefully, and just wander around campus or run out on the street to grab a random person?

’Am I a fucking idiot?’

Pei Yin viciously let out his frustration. "Those people are insane. Trying to recycle trash like them would just hurt my hands. I’m not a garbage collector."

Duan Feiye: "..."

Not getting a reaction didn’t faze Pei Yin in the slightest.

He couldn’t resist opening the audio file and replaying it.

Duan Feiye’s mouth twitched as he listened.

He couldn’t help but jab, "Who would be so clueless as to let you experiment on them? Did his parents forget to take him to the hospital when he was sick?"

Pei Yin shot him a sideways glance. "Duan Dog, from now on, you can do your own experiments. Stop pushing them off on me."

He said sarcastically, "My parents didn’t take me to the hospital when I was sick. The fever fried my brain, so I can’t possibly help you with your tests."

Duan Feiye: "..."

Duan Feiye raised a hand in surrender. "My bad, brother. I was blind and failed to recognize your greatness."

Pei Yin snorted. "I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t hold it against you."

He pushed Duan Feiye aside and took over the equipment.

"A tenth of this is more than enough. You wasteful oaf, every time you come in here, all you know how to do is squander my supplies."

Duan Feiye guiltily touched the bridge of his nose.

He wandered around for a bit before slowly and deliberately sitting down on a transparent floating chair.

Seeing Pei Yin pause, Duan Feiye suddenly spoke up. "Little Yan went home."

After Ultimate Eye returned, Ji Shiyin didn’t even enter the school gates.

Pei Yin lowered his gaze, his long, thick lashes hiding his eyes.

His tightly pressed lips slowly relaxed. "Jian Yu is a very difficult person to get close to."

If Ji Shiyin wants to join us, he’ll have to deal with that damn mess in his family first.

Otherwise, no matter how he tries to explain things to Jian Yu, she’ll just think he has ulterior motives.

"Don’t be fooled by how pretty, sweet, and cute my treasure is. When we first met her, she actually had a very low sense of security and didn’t trust anyone."

Pei Yin rambled on with a serious expression.

"She enrolled on September 15th. I had one research spot left for that month and was planning to give it to her. I wanted to be meticulous about it, so I forgot to mention it at the start. She misunderstood, and after that, I didn’t dare bring it up again."

"First, she has too many secrets. For the spot, I would need to draw her blood before I could report it to the Alliance and submit her name. And if the Alliance saw the research results, they’d very likely send others to take over the project."

"Second, Ling Gou had fallen for her, and Ayue was pestering her relentlessly. On top of that, when I suggested drawing her blood, she was extremely resistant. Her face went pale instantly, as if she thought I was going to use the same methods on her that I use on criminals."

Pei Yin fell silent for a moment, then wiped his face with his hand. "Anyway, it took me a long time to earn even a tiny bit of standing in her heart. You’d better not piss her off right from the start, or you’ll end up benched just like me."

Thinking about how timid Jian Yu was when she first started hanging around them...

Comparing that to how she was now, Pei Yin felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.

Duan Feiye’s gaze was profound, as if he had figured out all the twists and turns of the situation.

"We’ll see."

His feelings for Jian Yu were complicated.

He knew it wasn’t romantic love. It was more of a thrill—a desire to follow her and build a close relationship.

This kind of admiration for the strong is often accompanied by a thick "filter."

Once that filter on Jian Yu was gone and she returned to being ordinary...

...the admiration in Duan Feiye’s heart would quickly disappear, and that shocking flutter of excitement would also fade with time until it vanished completely.

Pei Yin looked at his contemplative expression. "Just looking at you pisses me off. You have to weigh the pros and cons for everything, with not an ounce of sincerity. And you want to pursue my treasure like this? Pursue my ass!"

He let go of the controls. "Alright, you do the rest. Remember to lock down the section when you leave."

Duan Feiye snapped back to reality. "Where are you going? Why haven’t you been back at the dorms lately?"

Pei Yin turned his head. "I’ve been sleeping in my treasure’s bed. I’m not some lonely soul. Why would I go back to the dorms? That huge building is so cold and empty."

He waved his hand. "Get some rest, Princess Feifei."

He made a stylish exit, looking a bit pretentious.

Duan Feiye gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Let me see you out."

Pei Yin, who had flown into mid-air, suddenly staggered.

’That black-hearted bastard.’

...

Snow was falling from the sky as the Starship arrived at the Imperial City Center before nine in the morning.

「At the entrance of Weis Lan Noble Academy.」

The moment Ling Yanzhi and the others appeared, Si Yan rushed out to meet them.

She was wearing a long white dress and holding a Jade Flute. "Brother Ayan!"

Ling Yanzhi looked down at the person blocking his path.

He asked suspiciously, "Who are you?"

Si Yan was deeply hurt. "Have you forgotten me? I’m Si Yan! Cousin Ah Xu’s younger sister. We used to play together all the time when we were little."

Jian Yu’s expression was blank.

She lifted her head and stared at Ling Yanzhi with a dark, enigmatic look.

Pei Yin flew down and saw the scene. "Ignore her. She’s just a fucking idiot, and so damn pretentious. Come on in, I ordered a feast for you guys."

Si Yan’s eyes turned red. "Pei Yin, are you sick in the head? I’m talking to Brother Ayan, what the hell does it have to do with you? What gives you the right to curse at me!"

Pei Yin feigned surprise. "How did you know I’m mentally ill? Yeah, I cursed you out. What are you gonna do about it? Shameless little bitch. You look like a toad, yet you still have the nerve to try and steal my treasure’s man."

Everyone: "..."